


Stars in Our Eyes

by RavensWrite



Category: Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hollywood, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Billy Is NOT a movie star, Fluff, M/M, Teddy is a movie star
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22140688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavensWrite/pseuds/RavensWrite
Summary: Billy Kaplan is a struggling concept artist and prop designer who is about to give up on his Hollywood dreams. Teddy Altman is an up and coming movie star who is growing increasingly frustrated with the Hollywood system. A chance encounter kicks off a roller coaster of romance, intrigue, and comic books, all wrapped up in Hollywood's newest, and biggest, franchise. Their future may be unknown, but one thing is for certain:Hollywood will never be the same again.
Relationships: Cassie Lang/Nate Richards, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Kate Bishop/Tommy Shepherd, Teddy Altman/Billy Kaplan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 50





	1. An Invitation Arrives

**Author's Note:**

> Hello There! Me again :( I know it has been a solid few months since I posted anything but I DO have an excuse. I'm taking some time to work on an original concept (oc's, original plot, the works) that I think will be really cool when finished. But of course it's a pretty big project so it's going to take a WHILE. In the meantime, this is a little something I've been tossing around in the back of my head for a while and finally got the chance to put down on paper. I've got about 9 chapters planned out but they're all a bit on the shorter side (because school). As always, all comments and Kudos are appreciated! :)

_An Invitation Arrives_

_Billy_

Billy scrubbed furiously at the newly formed coffee ring on his dining room table. The dark brown stain was quickly seeping into the wood of the foldable chair that was currently serving as his dining room table. _Fuck. Why didn’t I use a coaster?_ Billy thought. Accepting his chair-table’s fate, he leaned back against the cabinets on his apartment floor and sighed. Running his fingers through his hair, Billy scowled at himself. _I always use a coaster._   
The blue screen in his lap stared at him, taunting him with unread emails and unmet word counts. He’d been at it since 6 this morning but there was always something left to do. A message popped up in the corner of his laptop screen, pulling his attention away from his 3,578 unopened emails.

_Kate: Brew Ha Ha in fifteen. BE THERE! :)_

Billy jumped. Coffee flew out of the mug in his hand, landing on his shirt and earning a shout of pain from the seated man. The laptop screen went black as Billy pushed the power button. He paused for a moment; staring at his disheveled reflection in the black glass. Billy’s hair was sticking up in every direction, he had a coffee stain on his t-shirt, and the bags under his eyes could have given Emperor Palpatine a run for his money. He was a mess.   
Pulling himself up off the floor, Billy peeled his coffee-soaked shirt off and threw it at the laundry bin in the far corner of his apartment. When Billy had first come to Los Angeles to become a two years ago, he’d expected a certain level of discomfort. What Billy hadn’t expected was the ten square feet apartment, working at a discount store for a year and a half, and still having zero set experience to show for it. Light streamed in from the tiny window on the wall above his cot, Illuminating Billy as he searched for a new shirt that could pass as clean. Finally his hand came to rest on a blue t-shirt that was lying semi-folded underneath a pile of comics beneath his bed. Pulling the garment over his head, he grabbed his jacket and wallet before heading for the door.  
Everett Street was oddly quiet for a monday morning. Of course Billy had come to learn that quiet in LA meant an entirely different thing than it had meant back home. Cars still filled the streets; and people still hurried along the sidewalks mumbling about places they needed to be or people they needed to see. Not a day went by that Billy didn’t wish he could be like them. To have a job to do, a purpose to fulfill, for someone to be counting on him. That’s what he’d hoped for when he had moved to the city. Now his days were filled with small projects that were barely enough to pay rent.   
Billy played with the glossy pin in his pocket. Even though he couldn’t see it, he could picture it perfectly in his mind. The round shape, the shiny front, the colorful lettering on the front spelling out Wonder Comics. It was the pin he’d gotten at his first comic con. Despite it being years ago, Billy remembered it like it happened yesterday. The bright lights and displays, people in costume taking pictures, and celebrities from various sci-fi projects promoting their new film or TV show. It was where he had first become interested in prop work and practical effects. Now, standing on a cold street in a hole filled jacket, that life had never seemed so far away.   
The familiar sign of Brew Ha Ha coffee came into view as Billy rounded the corner. It’s gold lettering was peeling and faded but the shop was small enough to provide a relative haven from the hustle outside. Walking briskly and shivering is the January air, Billy crossed the street (earning a honk from a disgruntled driver) and entered the coffee shop.  
Warm air brought a flush of pink to Billy’s face as he scanned the shop, looking for the familiar dark hair and splash of purple that announced his sister-in law Kate’s presence. Finally spotting her in the back corner of the shop, Billy gave a little wave and made his way through the shop to her table. When he reached the table, Kate jumped up and gave him a tight hug. Billy pulled back in surprise.   
“Well hello to you too I guess?” he said.  
“Oh my god Billy we have so much to talk about!” Kate said.  
“Apparently we do.”   
Kate didn’t respond, instead opting to sit back down, grinning like she just won the lottery. Billy took off his coat and hung it on the back of his chair before joining her at the table. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.  
“Kate are you going to tell me what happened or am I supposed to divine the message from your coffee dregs?”   
“Oh relax you idiot. I’ll show you!”   
Kate dug around in her purse for a moment before procuring a sealed envelope and handing it to Billy. Taking it cautiously, Billy sat back in his seat.  
“Kate you’re not trying to give me money again are you? Because I told you and Tommy it was just one time and me and my landlord worked it out so-”  
“No it isn’t that,” Kate said, “just… just open it!”   
Billy placed his hands on the seal and found that it was already opened. He reached inside and pulled out a small rectangular piece of paper. The paper had gold borders and fancy black script decorated the center of the sheet. Billy scanned over the text, disbelief growing by the second. He looked back up at Kate whose normally quite composed and regal face was now somewhere between a dying cat and an elephant having an orgasm.   
“Holy _shit!_ ” Billy said.  
“Shhhhh” Kate grabbed his hand. A few of the patrons surrounding them gave Billy a dirty look.  
“The _Oscars_?”  
Kate nodded.  
“Are you kidding me?”  
Kate shook her head no.  
“How?” Billy asked.  
“Remember the indie film I was in last year?” Kate asked, taking the envelope and carefully placing it and it’s contents back in her purse.  
Billy nodded, taking a sip of the coffee Kate had ordered him.  
“We got a nom for best original screenplay. The whole cast was invited!”  
Billy grabbed Kate’s hand.  
“Oh my god Kate that’s amazing! I told you that job was going to be good for you.”  
“I know I know!”  
“So when is it, what are you wearing, etcetera, etcetera? Come on I need details Kate.”  
“Well you know me, I’ll wear anything as long as I don’t look like a slug.”  
Billy raised his eyebrows.  
“Shouldn’t be hard.” He said.  
Kate nodded.  
“But I was thinking… as the lead from the film, I get a plus one.”  
Billy took a small sip of his coffee.  
“Okay and?”  
Kate just kept looking at him. It took Billy a minute to decipher what she was trying to tell him.  
“Oh _no_.”  
“Oh yes!”  
“Kate, you can’t- I can’t!- no!”  
“Why not?” Kate said, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. “We both know Tommy would rather you go and the kids are too young to be up that late anyway. Who else would I bring?”  
“But I’m like, the _exact_ opposite of fancy.” Billy said.  
Kate shrugged.   
“We can figure something out. I’m sure I can find you something of Tommy’s that won’t be terrible. God knows I’ve picked out half of his wardrobe already.”  
“Kate, I’m honored that you believe in me, but I've worn these sweatpants for the past five days and the fanciest thing I own is the sports jacket that I wore to my High School graduation afterparty.”  
Kate laughed and ignored him, taking a sip from her almost untouched cup of coffee. Billy could tell there was no way he was getting out of this. Once Kate’s mind was made up- the matter was as good as settled. And it wasn’t like Billy hadn’t dreamed of going to the Oscars. Even though Billy had never been much of an actor he still loved everything about the art. He turned his attention back to his sister-in law.   
Billy sighed and grinned.  
“I’m going to the Oscars.” he said.  
Kate returned the smile.  
“Hell yeah you are!”

 _Teddy_  
  
Teddy grimaced as Arnold pulled his suit collar tighter. The fabric, in Teddy’s opinion, was already stretched far too thin over his bulkier frame. He was supposed to be able to breathe right? That was a thing that normal humans did last time he’d checked. He sucked in his already non existent gut as the older gentleman puttered around, making the last few adjustments to Teddy’s tux.   
“You can relax your body sir, I’m not trying to choke you.” Arnold reminded him. Teddy happily did so, letting his gut relax.   
“Arnold is this really necessary?” Teddy asked, stepping off the raised platform in the fitting room of the shop.   
“I’m afraid so sir. Fashion is pain as they say.”   
“Well fashion can kiss my ass.” Teddy mumbled.  
“Language please sir,” Arnold gave Teddy a dirty look, “this is a professional environment.” Sighing, the tailor hung the suit jacket back up on the fitting room rack.   
“Right, sorry.” Teddy winced as Arnold raised an eyebrow at him.  
“Maybe I’ll just go in sweatpants. Would that shock the world too much?” Teddy asked, once again poking at the tightly clasped buttons constricting his midsection. Arnold gave Teddy an amused look.   
“Mister Altman if there is one thing that I’ve learned from 25 years in the high end menswear industry, it’s that celebrities can, and often do, whatever they please and some corner the public will nevertheless adore them for it.” Arnold replied.  
Teddy nodded, undoing his bowtie and hanging it up next to his jacket.  
“But if you do decide to “shock the world” then I lose a considerable amount of money, so instead might I recommend this wonderful pair of cufflinks to complete the look?” Arnold asked. He extended his hand, showing Teddy a small pair of silver cufflinks with intricate gold detailing. Teddy chuckled and took the circular pieces of metal from Arnold.   
“They’re beautiful.” He said, smiling to himself.  
“And they’re only 95$.” Arnold pointed out.  
Teddy thought for a moment. Money wasn’t exactly tight right now, his latest blockbuster Rise of the Giant Metal Monkey Men had taken care of that. But there was never a guarantee of more work, no matter how popular he got online or how many talk shows he did he had to remember that. On the other hand he had just gotten an Oscar nomination. That has to count for something, right?   
“Alright Arnold, it seems you’ve swindled me once again. I’ll take the tux and the cufflinks.”  
Arnold smiled and took the cufflinks back; shuffling off to the front of the shop.  
“A wonderful decision if I may say so sir.”  
Teddy took a minute to get dressed in his street clothes before joining Arnold back up at the front of the store. High end menswear lined the walls and stocked the displays that filled the space. At the center kiosk, Arnold was busy ringing Teddy up on a computer that looked somehow older than Arnold himself. As he was being checked out, Teddy browsed the empty store, stopping when he reached a display that read: _New Waist Slimmers! Get that waist in line!_ Underneath the sign were a number of attractively packaged corsets. The man on the cover of the package was smiling and gesturing to his stick figure body. Teddy sighed and pushed the thought out of his mind. From the kiosk, Arnold called out to him.  
“Shall I put this on the normal card sir?”  
Teddy looked up from the tray of shirts he was admiring.  
“Yeah thanks Arnold, that’d be great.”  
“Very well Mister Altman.”  
He hadn’t been lying before when he’d told Arnold that he’d rather go in sweatpants. Sure he enjoyed social events, for god’s sakes, what was the point of working in the public eye if you couldn’t stand going to a little party every once in a while?   
But the Oscars, Now that was different. The Oscars weren’t a party. As his agent Camilla had so eloquently put it, “This isn’t just a party Teddy. It’s a networking opportunity masquerading as a party.” He’d hated that. It felt so wrong to him. Shouldn’t they be celebrating the art? Celebrating their craft? Not wasting their time trying to scramble for the next big role.   
Teddy dragged his attention away from the Oscars and made his way back over to the checkout kiosk where Arnold was now waiting for him, bag in hand.   
“See anything else you like sir?” he asked.  
Teddy nodded.  
“You know I always do.” He replied.  
“Anything you were particularly interested in?”  
“Sorry Arnie, trying to not take out a mortgage on my house for a new suit.”  
Arnold chuckled and printed out Teddy’s receipt.  
“You know if you don’t start buying more, I’m going to start thinking you’re coming in here just to see me.”  
Teddy laughed, took his tux bag from the counter, and turned to the door.  
“It was good to see you too Arnold.”


	2. A Party Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Billy prepares to live through what could either be the best or worst night of his life. But help from an unlikely stranger could change his life forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again! School has been absolutely CRAZY for the past couple of days, but I’ve managed to get this out relatively on schedule so... yay me! The original plan was to split each chapter into two sections (one for Billy and one for Teddy), but I started writing and the Billy half just kept getting longer and longer so I figured I’d just release the two parts as separate chapters that just cover the same event. If you enjoy this chapter be sure to leave comments and kudos, which as always, are greatly appreciated :)

Chapter Two:

_ A Party Begins _

_ Billy _

__ Despite his best efforts, Billy was  _ not _ breathing deeply. Kate sat next to him in the limo, nervously smoothing out her dress and muttering to herself about something. Billy moved his finger back and forth over the cool surface of the pin in his pocket. It was instinctual. Something he’d done so many times that it wasn’t conscious anymore. Billy reached over and gave Kate’s hand a squeeze.

“You alright?” He asked.

Kate looked at him with a nervous smile.

“I think I left the stove on.” She said.

“Kate, Tommy’s at home.”

“That’s why I’m worried.” Kate groaned.

“You’ll be fine. And I’ll be fine. Everyone will be fine.” Billy assured her, putting his arm through hers. Billy wasn’t sure how saying he was fine was supposed to help. It never had before. Why would it now? Instead of dwelling on his impending social doom, Billy relaxed into the cool leather of the limo seat. On any other night, Billy would have been having a great time. The (almost) perfectly fit tux, a limo ride with his best friend, it all sounded great to him. Where Billy tended to get tripped up was the social interaction portion of the equation. 

The driver called back to them from the front of the limo, interrupting his train of thought. 

“We’re pulling up to the carpet in a minute. Better get ready Ma’am.”

Billy heard Kate suck in a breath next to him. Her long purple dress was about as wrinkle free as it was going to get at this point, so she began to check her hair and makeup in the mirror on the limo wall. The car pulled up to a curb and then came to a stop.

“We’re at the carpet. Enjoy your evening.” The driver said.

Kate locked eyes with Billy.

“See you inside.”

Something happened. It was like a switch had been flipped in Kate’s brain. Her eyes brightened, posture straightened, and her smile seemed to be a bit wider than before. She gave an air of confidence that Billy had only ever seen a few times before. Kate grabbed the handle and stepped out of the limo, giving Billy just enough time to glimpse a bit of red carpet, a darkening sky, and a crowd of cameras, before the door was shut and he was alone.

“Press entrance sir?” The driver asked.

“Yeah, thanks.” Billy said.

The car moved off of the curb and around a corner before once again coming to a stop, this time in front of a less flashy, but far more crowded section of building. Billy froze. He  _ wanted  _ to move, but every time he tried to a little voice in his head screamed  _ FUCK NO _ . The driver tapped the wheel and glanced at Billy in the mirror. 

“You ok back there?”

“Fuck no!” 

The driver raised his eyebrows.

“Sorry.” Billy said.

“Mmhm. Take your time sir.” 

Billy groaned. Taking one last look at his temporary safe zone, he pushed open the car door and immediately whacked someone walking outside. Billy cursed and tried to get out of the car, apologizing profusely to whichever person had passing by. An older woman with a fancy feather boa and flowy dress scowled at him before walking away. Billy attempted to go after her and apologize, but instead tripped over the curb and flopped, rather ungracefully, to the ground. His face hit the sidewalk and the air forcefully exited his lungs. There was an audible “Ooo” from the crowd.

Billy swore he could feel the dignity exiting his body as he stood up and brushed himself off. Forcing a smile, he made his way into the crowd.

_ And that, Is why I don’t do social events. _

As the line progressed further towards the entrance, Billy took the ticket stub that Kate had given him out of his pocket and clasped it tightly. Suddenly a drop of something red fell onto the paper, staining it a bright crimson. Billy brought his hand to his face and felt where his skin had been breached.  _ Oh come on.  _ He thought. There were only a few more people until he would reach the front of the line.  _ There’s no way in hell they’ll let me in looking like this.  _ Billy took the pocket square out of his jacket, hesitated, and then dabbed it against his face. He soaked up as much blood as he could before shoving the cloth in his pocket and handed his ticket to the security with a smile. The guard looked him up and down with a puzzled expression before letting him through the doors. He was in.

The inside of the theatre was exactly as Billy had remembered it. Sitting at the TV as a kid he would scan over every detail on the screen. Noting everything from how the attendees looked to how the stage was decorated. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he would actually be standing here. As far as Billy was concerned, this was sacred ground, and that was enough to make him want to crawl under one of the seats and hide. _Oh god what if I mess something else up._ He thought. _Please, please let me just get through this without messing something else up._

The ushers were pointing out various seats throughout the theater as the members of the press walked through. Billy found himself being herded towards one of the stairwells and he approached an usher. The woman, who was dressed in the nicest tux Billy had ever  _ seen _ directed him up the stairs and to the right. After a brief five minute internal panic in which Billy came to the logical conclusion that the only reason that he couldn’t find his seat was because they must have removed it from the theater, Billy was able to get to his seat and sit down. He took a deep breath and looked around. There were already a good amount of people in the theater and even more were crowding in. Billy kept his eyes peeled for the familiar burst of purple that would signify Kate, but to no avail. There was already an older gentleman sitting at his left that smelled like his cologne had come from the dark ages, but the seat to his right remained open. 

“Come on Kate where are you?” Billy muttered under his breath.

“You’re bleeding.” the man next to him said.

“What- oh shit!” Billy said, touching his face. He looked at his phone. He would have just enough time to make a bathroom run if he hurried. He leaned over to the gentleman on his left. 

“Hey um, if a girl comes to sit down here could you tell her that I’ll be right back? She’s hard to miss, big purple dress and all.” Billy said.

The man grunted and turned away.

“Okay thank you, so so sorry I’ll be right back!” 

Billy turned and pushed his way as best he could through the crowd, earning grunts of disapproval along the way.  _ Oh shut up I’m bleeding from the face, you can move for a second _ . He checked his watch again. It was 20 minutes till showtime. If he hurried, he could make it. 

When he reached the ground floor, the usher took one look at Billy and directed him to a hallway off to the right. Billy thanked her and moved quickly towards the door, trying not to draw attention. 

The bathroom, thankfully, was devoid of any people. Billy checked himself in the mirror. 

_ Oh it’s not that bad _ . 

It was that bad. A small gash ran along the bottom of his cheek by his jawline. Bits of dried blood surrounded it, fully completing Billy’s “I don’t fit in here please help me” look.  _ Well no wonder I was drawing so much attention _ . He thought. Sighing, he wet the cloth in his pocket with warm water and cleaned the cut, wincing as the fluid came in contact with his skin. He wrapped up quickly and finished cleaning himself up. He was about to leave when his hand came to rest on the Wonder Comics pin in his pocket. Billy took the pin out and pinned it to his chest. Air filled his lungs as he took a deep, slow, breath, calming himself.

“This is your dream. You have  _ every _ right to enjoy it.” He whispered.

With renewed confidence he left the bathroom. The hallway outside was now considerably more empty than before, with most people having already taken their seats. Billy rounded the corner, a new spring in his step, and crashed into his second person of the day. 

Billy collided with solid muscle and went toppling backwards. But before he could hit the ground, he felt hands grab his waist and arm, hauling him back up. Instinctively, Billy reached out his hands and grabbed the first thing his fingers came into contact with. Unfortunately, that just so happened to be his savior’s nose. The man jerked back and took Billy with him, landing on the floor with an ungraceful  _ ompf _ . 

Brushing himself off, Billy stood up and immediately began apologizing. But he was shocked to find that the other man was apologizing too. 

That was when it hit him. He  _ knew  _ that voice. His eyes locked with a set of blue ones not two feet away from his face. Billy knew that familiar blond hair, built physique, and killer smile. He’d seen it everywhere: The movies, TV, posters, his dreams.. 

_ Oh this just got so much worse. _

Teddy Altman was standing in front of him, apologizing to  _ Billy _ , for Billy knocking  _ him _ over.  _ This isn’t happening. It isn’t. I’m going to close my eyes, and wake up in hell.  _ Except hell didn’t have giant 6’5 hunks that just casually walked around bumping into people. Billy was pretty sure that was more of a heaven thing. 

“Are you okay?”

“What?” Billy asked, snapping back to reality.

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry I really should have been paying more attention!”

“ _ Ohmygodnoitstotallymyfault. _ ” Billy said. 

Teddy’s smiled a little and Billy’s heart did the tango across his ribcage. Teddy’s smile vanished suddenly, replaced with a look of concern.

“This might seem a little awkward, but you're uh... bleeding?” Teddy said.

Billy’s eyes widened.

“Again?”

An even more concerned look crossed over Teddy’s face.

“Again?” he asked. 

Billy stammered, searching for something, anything, to say. But his mind hadn’t entered the building with the rest of him.

“Yeah it’s been kinda a recurring theme tonight.” Billy said. 

Teddy dug in his pocket, producing a handkerchief and handing it to Billy.

“Here.”

“What’s this for?” Billy asked.

Teddy paused.

“In case it… starts bleeding again?”

“Oh right!” Billy took the handkerchief and dabbed it against his face. Teddy’s eyes travelled downward, stopping at the pin attached to Billy’s jacket. He grinned and his eyes twinkled.

“No way! You’re a Wonder Comics fan?” He asked.

Billy blinked in surprise.

“Uh yeah,” his voice was beginning to regain some of its confidence, “Yeah I am!”

Teddy looked elated. 

“I’ve never met another Wonder nerd before! I always thought they were supposed to be a super niche fanbase.” 

Billy smiled, crossing his arms in front of him. He still wasn’t sure that he was totally conscious. A theory further supported by the fact that apparently one of the hottest movie stars on the planet was a fan of the same small comic book company that he was. Despite this, Billy could feel the tension slowly start to seep out of his limbs. 

“Well obviously the fanbase is super niche- they spend all of their money on marketing the Super Destroyers comics even though-”

“-Space Commandos is obviously the best!” It was a simple sentence, but both spoke it in unison. Billy locked eyes with Teddy and something unspoken passed between them.

“And which niche fan do I have the pleasure of speaking to?” Teddy asked.

“Oh! Sorry, I’m Billy Kaplan.” He said, rubbing his sore elbow through his jacket.

“Has anyone ever told you that you say that a lot?” Teddy asked, smirking slightly.

“Say what?” Billy replied.

“Sorry.” 

“Oh no, sorry I guess I haven’t noticed that before.”

Billy tried not to notice the slight upturn of Teddy’s lips when he said that.

“I’ve got to admit, I never expected someone so famous to be a fan of Wonder Comics.” Billy said.

Teddy stiffened a little, a cloud coming over his face. Billy’s heart dropped. _ Did I say something wrong? _ He paused. _ Again? _ Teddy rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the beginning of music from the theater. Teddy’s face fell. 

“Oh shit! Uh I really should head back.” He said.

Billy nodded.

“It was nice meeting you though!” He extended his hand and Billy shook it as firmly as he could. There was a part of him that didn’t want to let go. He knew Teddy was famous, like,  _ really _ famous. But there was something about the way Teddy had smiled at him. It wasn’t the megawatt smile he was used to seeing on TV or in one of his blockbusters. It was quieter, gentler, more real. Then Teddy’s hand was gone and he was turning away. 

_ Do something you twat, before it’s too late! _

“Hey can I have your autograph?” he called out.

Teddy froze and turned back towards him. A puzzled look on his face.

“It’s just, I don’t think anyone will actually believe me. That I met you I mean.” He stammered. Teddy smiled and walked back over. Billy dug in his pocket and pulled out the program he’d been given on the way in. He handed it over to Teddy who produced a marker from his pocket. 

Billy rocked back and forth on his feet while Teddy signed the glossy paper. The marker stopped scribbling and Teddy handed it back to him. He smiled and winked.

“See ya around Billy.” 

Teddy turned and walked back up the stairs to the theater. Billy watched him go, still not entirely sure what had just happened. He then realized he was still clasping the signed program tightly in his hands. Shaking himself out of his self imposed stupor, he unfolded the page and read the words written there. 

  
  


_ Billy,  _

_ In case you feel like getting schooled on Space Commandos. _

_ 213-893-5261 _

_ Teddy  _

On the back was written:

_ Ps: Never be sorry for being you. _

  
_ Did I-?  _ Billy looked up from the paper in shock.  _ Did he-??  _ Billy’s stomach was doing a tap dance across the rest of his internal organs. How did he pull that off? How in the  _ hell  _ did he pull that off? It’s not exactly like he was unattractive. Billy did his best to work out when he could. But by no means should what just happened- have happened. Then he felt a strange feeling wash over his mind. It made his heart skip a beat and forced a smile on his face. He was… happy. For the first time in what felt like forever. Billy had something to look forward to. And there was no way in hell was he going to let that chance slip away from him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s chapter 2 done! The first two chapters have been a little rocky I’ll admit, but I’m still trying to find the characters a bit more...  
>  Anyways, next chapter will be the party from Teddy’s perspective (plus a little extra to round of the first arc of the story) and then its on to part two! If you enjoyed this chapter/story feel free to leave kudos and comments down below to let me know how I’m doing :)


	3. The Hen in the Wolfhouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I QUIT school? Is that an option?? Are there papers I have to sign or something? Sorry for the HUGE wait in between chapters but apparently some people *cough* my teachers *cough* think its appropriate to assign three tests the DAY before midterms start. Anyway now that I’ve got that out if my system, this chapter is basically the Oscars night but from Teddy’s point of view! It was SUPER fun to write and I’m really starting to get more into this story. That being said, I still have no idea where this is going. Enjoy :)

**Chapter Three:**

_ The Hen in the Wolfhouse _

_ Teddy  _

White light hit Teddy’s eyes in rapid bursts. There was a smell of sweat and expensive fabrics in the air and voices called out towards him from every direction. The sun was going down now, and with it, all of the press had come scurrying to the red carpet to stake out the celebrities who would inevitably make an appearance. The famous were like a four course meal for the tabloids- and Teddy was the tuxedo-clad dessert. 

Teddy dropped his pose and walked further down the carpet. His face was aching from holding a smile for so long. _ You’re supposed to be having fun Teddy. _ He reminded himself. 

_ You’re an actor for god's sakes, can’t you act happy for a night? _

Down at the other end of the carpet a car pulled up and a girl in a gorgeous purple dress stepped out. Teddy took a moment to watch as she walked down the carpet in his direction. She had a confident swagger, like she had been doing this for years. But Teddy could see through the cracks in her shell. Her hands were twitching and every so often she would smooth out her dress. Teddy knew those signs. He knew because he had gone through those same emotions at his first red carpet. At least he’d had a bit of practice before the big Oscars stressapalooza. 

His attention was pulled over to someone rapidly approaching him from the direction of the theater. He quickly recognized the closely cut black hair and chiseled jawline of his friend Jamie Barnes. 

Jamie strode over to him and grinned, wrapping Teddy in a big bear hug. 

“Teddy, my man! Great to see you!” He said, releasing Teddy from his death grip.

Teddy smiled.

“How long has it been? Not since  _ Rise of the Monkey Men _ ?”

“Oh my god it’s been longer than I thought.” Jamie said. His face suddenly brightened.

“Hey congrats on the Oscar nom! That’s fantastic news!”

Teddy grinned and laughed. 

“I guess best supporting actor isn’t bad.”

Jaime scoffed and punched his shoulder.

“Not bad at all Teds!

“Listen man, I’ve got news for you! BIG news. I just gotta find Steve.” Jamie poked his head above the crowd and scanned the faces surrounding them.

“Alright, well I’m gonna head inside, see you in there?” Teddy asked.

Jamie nodded and called out for Steve, waving goodbye as Teddy made his way to the theater entrance. Jamie seemed different almost. Happier, brighter, almost… fulfilled. Teddy wondered what could have happened in the year they had been apart to change him so much. It must have had something to do with whoever Steve was. _ His date? _ Teddy wondered, but he quickly dismissed the thought. 

He still remembered the day when Jaime had come out to him. They’d had a long break between scenes on set and had been hanging out in Teddy’s trailer. It had been nervous at first, then a little more relaxed, and finally Jaime had broke down crying in Teddy’s lap. Teddy was the first person Jaime had told, most of his family being stuck in a much older mindset. 

Plus, it wasn’t like you weren’t  _ allowed _ to be gay in Hollywood. There had never been a better time to be gay and a movie star in fact. Having such a public announcement of your gayness was one of the best ways to get media attention and public approval to boot. Teddy hated that. He knew he was supposed to set an example and be a leader. But Teddy didn’t want to make a statement. Teddy just wanted to fall in love with a cute guy who preferably loved comics and bagels and have that be the end of it. He just wanted to be himself. 

Teddy approached the doorway to the theater, handing his invitation to the security at the front. With a wave of their hands, they passed him through. He was in.

The theater was exactly how he’d pictured it. The whole place was decked out in extravagant decor. Beautiful lights accentuated the marble columns standing against the wall. Teddy passed under an elaborate chandelier on his way to the theater itself. The usher was a friendly older man who seemed not to recognize him. Teddy gave the man his name and the usher directed him to a seat towards the middle of the venue, closer to the aisle. Teddy thanked him and took his seat. There was an older gentleman seated next to the right of him, who refused to acknowledge Teddy’s existence, but the two seats next to Teddy and closest to the aisle, remained open. 

Bit by bit the seats began to fill in until the entire theater was packed full of people. Most of the bigger names were seated in Teddy’s section, but still the two seats next to him remained open. Music began to play from overhead and the crowd finally began to settle down. Teddy glanced at his watch.  _ Still another half an hour till showtime _ .

His thoughts were interrupted by a large, poofy, candy red dress sitting next to him. Unsurprisingly, the dress was attached to a person. The younger woman had dirty blonde hair and wore a smile on her face like it was a treasured piece of jewelry. She locked eyes with Teddy and attempted to gain control of the frills on her dress. 

“Hi! I’m Cassie Lang. Sorry about the dress.” She wore a strange expression, almost as if she wanted to grimace but was afraid that if she stopped smiling she would die. Teddy extended his hand and smiled.

“Teddy Altman, nice to meet you.” 

Her eyes widened a bit. 

“Oh… oh! Right, of course you are!”

A man came up behind Cassie and sat down in the aisle seat, completing the row. He was lankier and his short brown hair revealed a thin, handsome face. The man leaned over to Cassie and murmured something. Teddy pretended to study the program in his hands as he listened in. 

“No we aren’t late-” Cassie said.

There was more intelligible dialogue and then the man looked at Teddy, then back at Cassie. He extended his hand.

“Nate Richards. Pleasure to meet you.”

Teddy nodded.

“Please the pleasure is all mine.” Teddy smiled again. “Teddy Altman.”

Teddy noticed Nate’s hand slip into Cassie’s. 

“So what are you in for?” Teddy said.

Cassie gave a small laugh but Nate’s face remained flat. 

“I’m an actress but we’re here on Nate’s invitation. He’s a director.” Cassie said.

“Oh interesting, so not murder then?” 

“Oh no we definitely murdered someone. It was a lifetime sentence or a night out at the Oscars. Guess which one Mr. Nerves of steel wanted to choose.” She smiled and nudged Nate lightly. He gave a nervous chuckle that sounded like a dying goat and then promptly fell silent.

“Is he okay?” Teddy asked.

“He’s normally fine, he just doesn’t like big social gatherings. He’s very... lone wolf if you know what I mean.”

Teddy nodded. 

“Yeah of course! You just let me know if I can do anything to help.” 

“Aw thanks Teddy.” Cassie said. She froze.

“Can I call you that?”

He laughed.

“Yeah you can call me that.”

Cassie relaxed into her seat. Her dress was finally settled down, ruffles tucked neatly into the seat. Teddy felt the anxiety slowly start to creep back into his mind. Why wasn’t he happy? What could possibly be wrong about the night so far? He was nominated for an Oscar, he’d reconnected with Jaime, he’d just met two super nice (although admittedly quirky) people. Despite the heat of the packed theater, Teddy felt a chill wash over his body. He suddenly realized tiny beads of sweat had gathered on his forehead. 

“Would you excuse me for a moment?” He asked.

Cassie looked up from behind her program.

“Oh, of course!” she replied.

They allowed Teddy to exit the aisle and he quickly made his way towards the lobby doors. On his way he tried not to notice the fact he was pretty sure he’d passed Mark Hamill at some point but had been too anxious to introduce himself. The lobby was thankfully empty and Teddy made a beeline for the bathrooms.  _ Maybe splashing some water on my face will snap me out of… whatever this is.  _

It was no wonder he was nervous. There were some _ really _ big stars here. Teddy had amassed quite a large following in the short time he’d occupied Hollywood, but most of the people here would put him to shame. He needed to be careful tonight. 

A smaller body came around the corner and collided with Teddy at full speed. Instinctively, Teddy reached out and grabbed the man’s waist and arm, hoisting him back up. To Teddy’s surprise, he felt a hand grip his nose and tug. He jerked his head away, loosening the man’s grip on his face and simultaneously knocking them both to the ground. The smaller man landed on top of him, limbs sprawling out in every direction. A dull pain spread throughout Teddy’s lower back and he groaned. He couldn’t help but think that he’d never met a less graceful human being in his life. 

The man scrambled to his feet and Teddy began to apologize profusely. He made a silent plea to the universe. _Please tell me I didn’t knock over someone important_. But Teddy didn’t recognize the man. And there was a good chance that if Teddy didn’t recognize him then he wasn’t a working actor. Although Teddy had ruled that out pretty quickly. The man’s face wasn’t what you would call “ready for the big screen. His hair was unruly and his face was thin- just like the rest of him; nothing like Teddy’s bulkier frame. But the man’s eyes caught Teddy off guard. They were a deep piercing blue. The color of the sea during a storm. They were nothing like Teddy had ever seen before, on screen or off. 

There was a moment of awkwardness, Teddy had stopped apologizing, but the man hadn’t quite realized who Teddy was yet. Suddenly his face froze and his body tensed.  _ There it is _ . The mixture of expressions on the man’s face was hard to read. Teddy landed on horror mixed with a _ slight touch of what have I done _ ? 

“Are you okay?” Teddy asked. He reached out towards the man’s shoulder but held back just in case the gesture wasn’t welcome.

The man blinked.

“What?” he asked.

“Are you okay?” Teddy repeated. “I’m so sorry I really should’ve been paying more attention!” 

The man’s eyes widened and he ran a hand through his hair.

“ _ Ohmygodnoitstotallymyfault.”  _ He said. The words came out jumbled and fast. Nothing like the cool composed people Teddy was normally surrounded by. He suddenly noticed a streak of red on the man’s face. The streak was accompanied by a small gash on the bottom half of his face.  _ Oh my god what happened to him? _ He thought. 

“This might seem a little awkward, but you're uh... bleeding?” Teddy said.

An expression of alarm crossed the man’s face.

“Again?” He said.

_ Again? _

“Again?” Teddy asked.

The man opened his mouth, as if to say something, but nothing came out. He sighed.

“Yeah it’s kinda been a recurring theme tonight.” He said.

Teddy looked at the human being standing in front of him in shock. He didn’t think he’d ever met anyone as strange or awkward or... as  _ real _ , since moving to LA. Why was he liking it? 

He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket.

“Here.” Teddy said, reaching out to the man.

“What’s this for?” The man said confused. 

Teddy paused.

“In case it… starts bleeding again?”

“Oh right!” The man took the cloth from Teddy and pressed it to his face, attempting to wipe away the semi dry blood there. It was then that Teddy noticed the shiny pin on the front of the Man’s coat. Teddy grinned. He would recognize that familiar logo anywhere. He’d seen it over a thousand times growing up in his mother’s small New York apartment. Back then the only glimpse of another life he’d had was Wonder Comics. The bright colorful pages and far off places had enraptured his mind. He supposed that the search for that was part of what had driven him to acting. 

“No way! You’re a Wonder Comics fan?” Teddy asked.

A surprised look crossed the man’s face.

“Uh yeah.” He paused. “Yeah I am!”

Teddy felt his heart skip a beat. 

“I’ve never met another Wonder nerd before! I always thought they were supposed to be a super niche fanbase.” He said, trying desperately to sound cool and not like a five year old at a birthday party. It wasn’t working. The man crossed his arms and pouted.  _ Why is that kind of cute?  _

“Well obviously the fanbase is super niche- they spend all of their money on marketing the Super Destroyers comics even though-”

“-Space Commandos is obviously the best!” Teddy couldn’t hold it back. In that moment, he had forgotten the anxiety, stress, and anger. He was just being…  _ him _ . Why could this man do that when nobody else could?

“And which niche fan do I have the pleasure of speaking to?” Teddy asked.

“Oh! Sorry, I’m Billy Kaplan.” he said, rubbing his elbow tenderly.

_ Billy. _ Teddy smiled a bit wider.

“Has anyone ever told you that you say that a lot?” He asked.

“Say what?” Billy replied.

“Sorry.” Teddy said.

“Oh no, sorry I guess I haven’t noticed that before.”

Teddy smirked.  _ Old habits die hard I guess _ . He thought.

“I’ve got to admit, I never expected someone so famous to be a fan of Wonder Comics.” Billy said. Teddy’s muscles went stiff and he winced slightly.  _ There it is _ . He thought.  _ He’s probably thinking that he can use this connection. Camilla was right. This isn’t a party, it's a business opportunity _ . Teddy rubbed the back of his neck. The anxiety was coming back, slowly, but surely.  _ I thought you were different _ . At least, Billy made him  _ feel _ different. Why was this so goddamn hard? He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the music beginning to play signalling the beginning of the show. Despite his best efforts to remain happy, Teddy’s face fell. 

“Oh shit! Uh I really should head back.” He said.

Billy looked crestfallen but nodded.

“It was nice meeting you though!” He extended his hand and Billy took it. His hand lingered there for a moment longer than perhaps it should of, but then Teddy was turning. Turning away from Billy and away from the feeling inside himself that he was making a mistake. Teddy knew what would happen. He’d move on to another project. Another movie. Another excuse to keep busy and shut people out. Of course he’d always have Jamie (when he wasn’t away filming) and whoever Steve was. And Teddy would grow to forget the cute, vulnerable, and adorably clumsy man with the wonder comics pin. It hurt, but that was life wasn't it? 

“Hey can I have your autograph?”

Teddy stopped in his tracks. He turned to Billy, a questioning look on his face.

“It’s just, I don’t think anyone will actually believe me. That I met you I mean.” Billy stammered.

Teddy paused.  _ What is this? A your agent gets in touch with my agent type thing? _ But the look on Billy’s face told Teddy that was wrong. It wasn’t desperate, more like  _ asking _ . And Teddy knew what Billy was asking for. 

He smiled, walking back over to Billy and digging around for the autograph sharpie he kept on him just in case. Pulling the marker from his pocket, he took the program from Billy and began writing. 

_ Billy,  _

_ In case you feel like getting schooled on Space Commandos. _

_ 213-893-5261 _

_ Teddy  _

Before handing the program back to him, Teddy stopped and flipped the paper over, writing:

_ Ps: Never be sorry for being you. _

If that didn’t send a clear signal then Teddy didn’t know what would. He capped the sharpie and handed the program back to Billy, who was nervously rocking back and forth on his feet. 

“See ya around Billy.” Teddy said. 

As Teddy walked away towards the theater he couldn’t help but feel like something was different. Not completely changed, but different. That feeling of dread in the back of his mind wasn’t so heavy anymore. As he made his way back to his seat, apologizing to Nate and Cassie for taking so long, he wondered if he would ever see Billy again. He decided that maybe, just maybe, if the universe had some shred of decency left, that he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So thats finally chapter 3 done! And it only took me several weeks! Yay self improvement! I couldn’t help but throw a little Stucky in there (it just kinda happened so I said fuck it) so we’ll see if they stick around or not. I can’t tell you what to expect with the next chapter because I don’t even know what I’m going to write yet soooo. If you liked this chapter please consider leaving comments of kudos! They are greatly appreciated :)


	4. Pray and Press Send

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been grinding away at this chapter for a little while now and I think FINALLY it's ready for posting (although lets be real, whos writing is actually up to their own standards??). School has been winding down as well as the end of swim season which means more time for writing! Hopefully this means updates will be less few and far between. Hop you enjoy this one, god knows it wasn't easy to write. :)

**Chapter Four:**

_ Pray and Press Send  _

_ Billy _

“Come on let's get those legs pumping now!” 

Billy’s legs were pumping alright, they just weren’t  _ moving  _ anything. Despite his best efforts, the pedals underneath his feet refused to move an inch. Billy pressed again, trying to ignore the inquisitive glances from the middle aged woman cycling on the machine next to him. 

_ Why the hell is this not working?  _

On the screen in front of him, a cheerful blonde woman was speak-yelling inspiring phrases directly into Billy’s headphones. The name on the bottom of the screen read:  **Brenda Babinski** , in big bold letters. Billy got off the bike and knelt down next to it. As he got off the seat, a cheerful Brenda said:

“Don’t give up now, you’re almost there!”

Billy flipped off Brenda.

The woman next to him gave a little gasp. Billy ignored her and glanced at his watch.  _ 8:00 _ . He’d already been working out for a solid hour. Sighing, he wiped the sweat off of his forehead and left the bike.

“Sorry to see you go!” Brenda chirped.

“Fuck you too Brenda.”

Ignoring the woman’s even more startled gasp, Billy pushed open the door to the YMCA locker rooms. Other than a shockingly old man showering in the nude, the locker rooms were empty. Billy found his locker and began to change quickly. If he was going to get home and work on his applications before he had to meet Kate for lunch then he needed to hurry up. 

Oscar night had only been a week ago, but already Billy was starting to return to his little world of rejected applications and daily chinese takeout. In fact, Billy was certain that the only reason he’d been able to keep relatively in shape was because of the annual YMCA membership that his parents had gifted him a couple years back.

Billy shut his locker door and gathered his things, exiting out the back door of the locker room into the hall. The YMCA was strangely quiet, although Billy supposed most people were probably working at 8 on a Monday morning. He exited the building and entered the cold February air. A quick buzz on his phone pulled his attention and he pulled it out of his pocket. 

_ Kate: Don’t forget about our lunch today :) _

__ Billy thought for a moment, eyes wandering up to the sky and fingers tapping the edge of his phone, before typing a response. 

_ Billy: Like I would forget again. I’ll see you there. _

He sent the message and was about to put away his phone when a number in his contacts caught his eye. The string of digits had been there for almost a week, taunting him and calling out to him like a siren to a drunk sailor.  _ Teddy’s number.  _ Billy tapped the number and brought up the unstarted text chain. A fully typed out message sat unsent in the text box. Billy’s finger hovered over the send button for a moment and then stopped. Giving in to defeat, Billy put the phone back in his pocket.  _ I’m never going to do this.  _

Billy walked down the busy sidewalk in the direction of his apartment. Cars honked in the street as the morning LA traffic jam continued on. People pushed past Billy on his left and his right, undoubtedly having somewhere more important to be than he did. Another ding on his phone drew his eyes away from the sidewalk. A notification popped up on the picture of him Tommy, and Kate that served as his background.

_ Kate: Just making sure. Tommy left you a message last night but he said you never responded, should I assume in usual Billy fashion you forgot? _

_ Shit I did forget.  _ Billy opened his phone and typed out a response.

_ Billy: Yeah tell him I’ll call him as soon as I get home. _

He pressed send and crossed the street to his building. The building was blissfully quiet, most people out at work or home asleep after a night shift. Billy climbed the dilapidated stairs, wincing at each creak of the boards, until he reached his front door. No sooner had he turned the key in the lock than the door next to his opened and an elderly man emerged from the darkness. 

“Hi Mr. Peterson.” Billy squeaked.

The man grunted and then turned back to his apartment, closing the door behind him. Making even more of an effort to be quiet, Billy opened the door and stepped into his apartment. He dumped his dirty gym clothes into the laundry bin and sat down on his bed. Just as he was about to reach for his laptop, his phone buzzed from his pocket.  _ Wow, someone's popular today.  _ At first Billy thought the text was from an unknown number. Then Billy realized what he’d done.

_ What the FUCK? _

Billy’s heart fell into his stomach. Hands shaking, he unlocked his phone and opened the messages app. Right there, on the screen in front of him, was possibly the biggest embarrassment of his life.

_ Billy: Hey Teddy it’s Billy. Thought I’d finally take you up on your offer - that is if you aren’t afraid to get your ass beat by the state of New York’s comic book trivia champion. Yeah tell him I’ll call him as soon as I get home. _

_ 213-893-5261: Well look who decided to show themselves! I was beginning to think I’d scared off the competition ;) Also, call who? Did you have a stroke on your keyboard or is there someone I should be jealous of? _

A string of curse words as long as the California border crosses through Billy’s mind. Forcing himself to take deep breaths he set the phone down on the floor before he could do any more damage.  _ What do I do now? Text him back? _ Billy wondered.  _ No that would be stupid. Would it?  _ Carefully Billy picked up the phone again. His heart skipped a beat as he read over the message again.  _ Wow he really is a nerd isn’t he? _ Billy smiled to himself.  _ Clearly he wants me to respond. But what the hell am I supposed to say?  _ He thought for a moment and then typed up a response.

_ Billy: Don’t worry, my messages just got scrambled because of the kratokoan energy randomizer that I have on my desk here. You know, from Space Commandos #65? Or do you not know what that is? ;) _

_ Teddy: Ha! It's almost like you assume I don’t have the issue framed above my bed ;) _

_ Billy: Oh so you’re a NERD nerd then… _

_ Teddy: That’s some pretty big talk for someone who wore a Wonder Comics pin to the Oscars. _

_ Billy: Oh you do NOT want to get into this with me right now. _

_ Teddy: You’re right. How about we hash it out in person?  _

_ Billy: ? _

_ Teddy: Idk we could grab coffee or something? _

_ Teddy: If you wanted to of course! No pressure. _

_ Billy: Yeah sounds great. I’m free at 4? _

_ Teddy: Awesome! I know a great place. You’re gonna love it ;) _

A blue bubble popped up with the address for a coffee shop popped up under the chain of messages. Billy fell back onto his bed. He was having coffee with  _ Teddy Altman _ .  _ Movie star  _ Teddy Altman.  _ Gorgeous blond hunky _ movie star Teddy Altman. He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. 

_ What the hell just happened? _

*

“I’m sorry  _ what? _ ” 

Kate almost spit out the water that she had in her mouth. Billy handed her a napkin and then repeated himself. 

“I’m meeting - Teddy Altman - for coffee.” Billy said.

Kate shook her head in disbelief. Her eyes were locked in a permanent state of surprise, not wanting to leave Billy’s face. 

“I mean I know you said that you met him at the Oscars - which let’s be honest I was pretty sure you were lying - but  _ Billy _ .”

“Yeah I know. Believe me I did not expect this either.” He put his face in his hands.

Kate put her hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” She asked. Billy looked up and met her eyes. He sighed and held back for a moment, before giving in to Kate’s inquisitive stare.

“I’m nervous I’m gonna blow it.” He said. Kate’s eyebrow’s knit together in confusion. 

“Hey it’ll be fine. Clearly there’s something he likes about you; and you’re obviously both huge nerds so that can’t hurt.” She grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. 

“Plus it isn’t like it’s a date or anything. You shouldn’t feel pressured at all.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right.” 

Kate relaxed back in her chair and took another sip of her water.

“Besides if he turns out to be a creep just call me and I’ll kick his ass - famous or not.”

Billy laughed and began to smile. 

_ This might go okay. _

*

Billy pulled a red t-shirt over his head and used his fingers as a makeshift comb for his hair. He stole a glance at his watch. _ 20 minutes till I’m supposed to meet him. _ The address Teddy had sent him was a fifteen minute walk away on a crowded night. Thankfully it was Monday so Billy doubted traffic, both pedestrian and vehicular, would be too bad. He threw on his blue jacket and checked his breath.  _ Why did I do that? _ He ignored it and started for the door before stopping and grabbing his scarf. Billy checked his reflection in the mirror and frowned.  _ That’ll have to do _ . Satisfied, he left the apartment.

He restrained himself from taking the stairs two at a time out of respect for Mr. Peterson’s sanity. As he burst outside he was greeted by a rush of cold air and the sounds of the city washed over him. A car horn sounded off in the distance accompanied by several shouting voices quickly after. _ Nothing like the sights and sounds of the city to raise your spirits _ . He thought. Billy set off in the direction of the address he’d been given, walking a little bit faster than he needed to. Despite the chill in the night air Billy’s hands were sweating. He nervously rubbed them on the outside of his coat and then returned them to his pockets. 

As it turned out, the coffee shop was closer than Billy had thought. It was a smaller store, although not as small as the Brew Ha Ha that Billy frequented. A large bright sign over the storefront read:  _ Hero’s Brew! Where Stars Refuel! _ Despite the cheery tagline, Billy doubted that many stars would have the guts to visit a coffee shop in the… less shiny part of LA. 

The twinkle of a bell announced Billy’s arrival to the store. He scanned the store and his eyes landed on a smiling figure in jeans and a green jacket sitting in the back of the shop. Teddy waved at him and Billy smiled and forced his arm up. Was he waving? Maybe, or maybe not. He’d lost feeling after his elbow. Billy made his way towards the back of the shop and finally arrived at the table. He sat down and glanced up the the baseball hat on Teddy’s head. 

“Hey!” Teddy said. “Sorry about the table, I just prefer to be away from the window. It helps with, you know-”

“The recognition?” 

He nodded and Billy smirked.

“Is that why you have the hat on?”

“Yep.” Teddy replied.

“Don’t you think having a hat on inside draws a bit more attention to you?” Billy asked, smiling. Teddy paused. A stupid look crossed his face making Billy laugh.

“Nevermind, keep it on. It suits you anyway.”

Teddy smiled. Billy could have been mistaken but he thought he saw the slightest hint of a blush on Teddy’s face. He pushed the thought away.  _ It’s warm in here, I’m sure that's what it is _ . 

“So what did you have in mind?” Billy asked. 

“I thought maybe we could get coffee and then walk around a bit? If you feel like it! We don’t have to if there’s something you’d rather do.”

“No that sounds like fun!” 

“There’s a pretty cool comic shop around here I wanted to show you. Assuming you haven’t already been.” 

“Parallel Worlds?”

A look of shock crossed Teddy’s face.

“Yeah, you’ve been?” 

Billy grinned.

“Only every weekend for the past two years of my life.” 

Teddy leaned back in his chair. 

“Man I love that place…”

“If you love that you should check out Stan’s.” Billy said. This earned him an inquisitive look from Teddy. Billy grabbed his coat and stood up.

“Come on nerd let's get our coffee to go.” 

Teddy stood up and followed Billy to the counter where they ordered their coffee. A minute later they were back on the streets. It was surprising to Billy how easily they settled into a rhythm. It was a bit comforting, yet a bit strange. Billy had never had someone to walk next to before. No one to just exist with because they didn’t have anything better to do. There was of course Kate and Tommy, but they had busy lives and Billy wasn’t one to force them into social interaction. But this was different. Teddy was strangely... comfortable next to him. Billy could just feel it. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know so much about this part of the city? I mean don’t get me wrong, waking up to the sight of raccoons fighting in the alleyway outside your window is wonderful, but you don’t actually live here do you?.” Billy asked.

Teddy laughed and bumped his shoulder.

“Yeah I don’t live here. I used to though, before all of the… fame stuff happened.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah, I spent the better part of a year here before getting a break. And believe me I was one of the lucky ones. The  _ very _ lucky ones.” 

Billy nodded. He knew how that felt. Like you were stuck to a boulder underwater watching all the swimmers above but not being able to join them. It was suffocating. 

“If you don’t mind  _ me _ asking, what exactly do you do in LA?” Teddy asked. “Are you an actor?”

Billy shook his head.

“I’m pretty sure to be an actor you need to have a… nicer face?” He said.

“Oh come on,” Teddy said, “You might not be a Captain Gordon of the Space Commandos but you’re hardly as bad as a kratakoan skull eater.” 

Billy laughed and punched Teddy in the arm.

“No I’m a concept artist slash prop designer. It’s kinda a toss up right now.”

Teddy nodded.

“Sorta a throw everything at the wall and see what sticks situation huh?”

“Yep.”

“You realize now that you’ve told me this you have to show me your art right?”

“Oh I do do I?” Billy replied.

Teddy’s face went grim. It was an intensity that Billy imagined was one of the reasons he was an actor. 

“Those are the rules.” 

“And who made those?” Billy asked.

“Me, just now, when I decided I wanted to see your art.” Teddy said. Billy stopped and looked up at Teddy who broke out into laughter. Despite his efforts, Billy couldn’t help but laugh with him. 

After a couple more minutes of walking, they finally arrived at their destination. A small little sign reading:  _ Stan’s Comics and More  _ was the only distinction of the shop’s contents. The outside was relatively barren and unattractive. But the inside told a different story. Comic infested racks lined the walls from almost top to bottom, and any remaining space was covered in posters of popular comic book heroes from throughout the decades. Tables lined the center of the shop, each holding several boxes of assorted comics organized by era and publisher. It was small and cluttered, but to Billy it was perfect. 

As they walked in, an older man from behind the counter glanced up from behind the cash register. A smile spread across his face, making his mustache stick out even more than usual. Billy grinned and walked over to the counter.

“Hey Stan.”

“Hey there kiddo! How’s it going?”

“With the job search? Still no luck I’m afraid.” Billy replied. Stan frowned and patted Billy’s hand.

“It’ll be worth it. Sooner or later someone will come around. Just hang in a bit longer.” 

Billy smiled. Stan’s words always gave him a new sense of hope, something he was in short supply of recently.

“Thanks Stan.”

“This… is awesome.”

Billy turned back to Teddy, who was busy exploring the contents of one of the bins at the front of the shop. He held up a comic to show Billy. 

“ _ Voyagers _ #56, vintage,  _ nice _ .” Billy said.

“And who is this handsome young fella you’ve brought in kid?”

Billy blushed a little, which unfortunately did not go unnoticed by Stan, who winked.

“Stan this is Teddy Altman.”

Teddy walked over, still holding the Voyagers comic in his hand, a dumbfounded look on his face. He shook himself out of his stupor and extended a hand towards Stan who took it. If Stan recognized who Teddy was, he didn’t mention it. 

“This used to be my favorite issue as a kid. Hell I probably read this every  _ week _ .” Teddy said. Stan nodded.

“You got something in common with your friend here then.” He said, “Billy’s checked this one out more times than I can count.”

“Checked out?” Teddy asked, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Stan lets me… borrow some of his books every once in a while.”

“Every week.” Stan interjected.

“That way I can still read them even if I can’t um…” Billy trailed off.

“Can’t what?” Teddy asked. Billy knew Teddy wasn’t trying to be insensitive, he just clearly hadn’t caught on yet.

“Teddy… I can’t afford them.”

Teddy’s cheeks went pink and his eyes widened a bit.

“Oh! I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to-”

Billy cut him off.

“It’s totally fine, don’t worry about it.” 

Teddy remained speechless for a second before recovering himself. 

“Hey why don’t I show you around the shop real quick?” Billy suggested. 

Teddy nodded and smiled.

“Yeah I’d like that.”

They spent what seemed like an eternity to Billy walking through the stacks of comics and browsing the store. Every once in a while, Teddy would get excited about a particularly interesting find and would rush over to show Billy. Then they would pour over the pages of the book, pointing out things they liked, or stopping to make jabs at the other’s lack of comic knowledge. Billy couldn’t help but notice every brush of their hands, or every time Teddy put his arm on Billy’s shoulder. And he definitely didn’t notice how Teddy would clutch his chest whenever Billy made him laugh. 

After an hour of diving into bins and competing to see who knew the most about ridiculously nerdy comic book topics, Billy and Teddy said goodbye to Stan and left their little comic shop world. It was almost completely dark now and the air temperature had dropped significantly since they had left the coffee house. Car horns and sirens sounded off somewhere in the distance. 

“So is this goodbye?” Billy asked. He knew goodbye wasn’t what he wanted but a part of him knew that he’d been lucky tonight. Much to Billy’s surprise, nothing had gone wrong so far, and he wanted to keep it that way.  _ Better not to spoil a happy memory, especially because this might be the only one we get.  _

Teddy glanced down at his feet for a moment.

“I mean, I should probably walk you home. It’s getting kinda late.”

Billy glanced at his watch.  _ It’s 6:30 _ .

“Yeah that would be smart. I’d rather not be mugged tonight.” He stuck a hand in his coat pocket. “Even if they would only get about three dollars and a receipt for… cough medicine from three weeks ago.”

“Mm jackpot.” Teddy said.

As they walked, Teddy moved a bit closer to Billy. Not too much, but just enough so that their shoulders touched every so often. It was a relatively short walk back to Billy’s apartment and soon they found themselves standing in front of the dilapidated building. Teddy sucked in a breath next to Billy. 

“Yeah I know. Not exactly a palace.” Billy said.

He turned to Teddy. 

“I just-” he paused, searching for the right words, “Thanks. For everything I guess. You’ve been really nice and I’ll be honest this wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“You aren’t what I was expecting either.” Teddy said.

Billy cocked his head and Teddy chuckled.

“In a good way I promise!”

A sort of strange look crossed over Teddy’s face and then suddenly his arms were wrapping around Billy’s waist in a tight hug. After getting over his initial shock, Billy slowly returned the embrace, standing on his tiptoes to wrap his arms around Teddy’s neck. Teddy radiated a soft warmth that was a stark contrast to the crisp air around them. 

“Stan was right. Things will start to change Billy, soon. I promise.”

“I know.”

Slowly, the pair let go of each other and the cold came rushing back, pushing between the two like a frigid barrier.

“Until then I guess I’ll just keep doing what I usually do. Coffee, Comics and Contemplation.”

Teddy laughed.

“I’ll see ya later Billy.” 

He turned and began to walk down the street, disappearing into the darkness.

“See ya later Teddy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that the first awkward hoop has been jumped through, the real shit can go down! No spoilers, but next chapter expect some more plot stuff to start happening. I couldn't resist having a little Stan Lee cameo in there bc like it's Stan Lee, the man literally was the KING of Marvel. I'm also considering adding a breakdown of all the comic book teams/heroes that I end up creating for the series as I go along (just for a little extra context/worldbuilding) so let me know in the comments if that's something you would be interested in seeing!


	5. Two Peas In An Intergalactic Spaceship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back from another outrageously long break! This time it's partly school, partly my other activities, and mostly me being very lazy. On another note, the world is chaotic right now so make sure you are staying safe, staying smart, and staying healthy! Make sure to use this time to grow creatively and spend more time doing what you love (like reading my fanfics). Hope you enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter Five:**

_ Two Peas in an Intergalactic Spaceship _

_ Teddy _

_ “Hey Billy it’s me. Just checking to make sure you’re good with meeting up at six.”  _ Teddy paused.  _ “Uh, call me back when you get the chance. Bye.”  _

__ Teddy hung up and put his phone back into the front pocket of his jeans. He’d only been meeting up with Billy for a week, but already Teddy was beginning to rely on their little excursions to get him through daily life. Every time he saw Billy it was just another chance to escape from the constant stress he was under. Seeing the disheveled man never failed to bring a smile to his face. 

Getting out of the front seat of his car, Teddy quickly scanned the street for any larger groups of passerby. People didn’t try to stop him often, but it was best to be safe. Satisfied with the lack of pedestrians, Teddy briskly made his way into the complex that housed his agent Camilla’s office. Teddy opened the door and a gust of cool air blasted him in the face.  _ Leave it to Camilla to keep the AC on high in March _ . Although Teddy supposed when you represented the amount of high profile clients that Camilla did, you could probably afford to keep the building whatever temperature you wanted. 

As Teddy entered the reception area he was greeted by the familiar sight of Victor sitting behind the reception desk. He gave Teddy a friendly wave and called him up to the desk. 

“Should be scheduled for 4.” Teddy said.

Victor typed something into the computer.

“Looks like you’re all set. There's someone in there right now so it’ll be a minute.” 

Teddy nodded and took a seat outside the office door. He checked his instagram feed, scrolling through the accounts of various people he either knew or had probably met at some semi-important business party a while back. He wasn’t really paying it any attention. Teddy’s mind was more occupied with what Camilla had called him here for. She almost never called him to her office for anything. Either Teddy had done something good, or something collasally stupid. Unfortunately, the latter was far more likely to be true than the former. 

After five minutes the door to Camilla’s office finally opened and a younger man stepped out. It looked like he was on the verge of tears. Camilla clasped his hands and murmured a few soft words to him, a sad look on her face. The man shook Camilla’s hand and hastily left, wiping away the beginnings of tears. _ Oh boy _ . Teddy thought. 

Camilla’s gaze shifted to Teddy and her face brightened. 

“Teddy!” She said. “So good to see you!”

Teddy stood up and threw on a happy face. 

“Good to see you too!” 

Camilla waved him into her office and Teddy sat down at the chair across from her desk. Camilla took the seat opposite him and put some papers on her desk into a drawer under her desk. Teddy tried not to sweat too much in the seat.  _ She wouldn’t fire me after I got nominated for an Oscar. That would be stupid. What if this is about the Warner Brothers Deal? Oh god I thought we were over that. We definitely said we were over that. Didn’t we?  _

“So Teddy I know you’re probably a bit nervous as to why I called you here. I know this isn’t normally how I operate as my client base is  _ quite _ extensive and high profile.” 

Teddy swallowed hard.

“But, considering recent developments I thought it was only right that I congratulate you. An Oscar nomination is not a small thing. We should be very proud of how far we’ve come.”

Teddy breathed a sigh of relief.

“Thank you! I think I still haven’t totally processed it myself yet.” 

“You’ll get more used to the attention after a while.” Camilla said. “For now just enjoy it while it lasts.” She pulled out a sheet of paper from the top of a neat stack on her desk. 

“Now of course, this begs the question, where do we go from here? An Oscar nomination is all well and good yes, but it isn’t a win. Our job is to find you a project that will make you a winner.” 

Teddy refocused himself and began to think. 

“How can I help?” He asked.

“We need to use this as a stepping off point. Now that you’re officially a big name, we can start to get you brand deals. From there we can land you more commercials promoting products to grow your sphere of influence until your next big opportunity comes up.”

Teddy nodded.

“And have any brands… reached out?” 

Camilla smiled.

“Yes! I got an offer from Germ Away just yesterday afternoon.”

Teddy’s heart sunk.

“A cold medicine?”

Camilla sighed and reclined in her chair.

“Listen, Teddy, I know it may not be the most glamourous, but this is the best way to make money fast.” She paused. “If you do this, it’s your best bet for quick cash and more name recognition.” 

Teddy sighed. 

“Isn’t there any other way? I mean hasn’t anyone contacted you about roles or something?”

Camilla looked at the sheet on her desk and shook her head. 

“There was a call about a guest starring in a network television show and one put in by an unknown director asking about some low budget sci-fi film. Not very viable options. Especially when compared to a brand deal.”

Teddy leaned forward in his seat.

“What about the sci-fi film?”

Camilla pursed her lips.

“You really want to know?”

Teddy nodded and Camilla sighed.

“Alright then. Casting call for a built, blond haired man, early 20s to early 30’s. For a film called, Space Commandos: Rise of the Klyndarks.-”

Teddy sat up in his seat.

“Who’s the director?”

Camilla raised an eyebrow.

“Someone named Nathaniel Richards. Like I said, an unknown.”

Teddy’s mind was already made up. It had been made up before he’d even heard the name.

“I’ll take it.” 

Camilla paused.

“You can’t be serious.” She said. Each word was punctuated sharply, like she was jabbing needles into a pincushion. 

“I just have a feeling.”

“Mr. Altman, if Hollywood was run by feelings then movies would never get made.”

“Please just trust me on this one. When have I ever let you down?”

“Teddy, this deal is a big opportunity. Turning it down is not a wise decision. Remember what happened with the Warner Brothers deal? ”

Teddy’s cheeks flushed and he remained silent..

“You really want this?”

He nodded. Camilla locked eyes with him. Her glance was colder now, unwavering. If he backed down now- he was out. But he wanted this. In that moment, the money was forgotten, and a new feeling invaded Teddy’s mind. It was something light. Something different and unexpected. Like the way he felt around… around Billy. 

“I’ll make the call.” 

Teddy exhaled.

“Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

They shook hands and Teddy made his way to the door of the office. Just as he was about to exit, Camilla called out to him.

“Teddy,” she said, “Enjoy your glory while you have it.”

Then the door was shut.

*

“Damn dude she said that?”

“Yeah I know.”

Jamie sighed through the phone.

“Sorry man that must have been rough.”

Teddy rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Yeah it wasn’t great.” Teddy paused. “She brought up the Warner Brothers thing again.”

Jaime groaned.

“She has no  _ right _ to hold that over you Teddy. You know that.” 

There was a pause from the other end of the line. 

“So… what’s the latest with you know who?”

Teddy smirked and cut the wheel, turning into his driveway. He stopped at the gate and punched in a quick 4 digit code before it opened and he was able to continue down the gravel path.

“I already told you Jaime. We’re seeing each other tonight.”

“Mmhm… and?”

Teddy laughed.

“We’ve been over this. We’re friends.  _ That's it _ . For god's sake I’ve only known him for two weeks.”

Jaime scoffed.

“Bullshit. Some people get married after less than that. Besides, this is the happiest I’ve heard you sound since before  _ Monkey Men _ .”

Teddy sighed, unsure how to respond.

Jaime continued, more serious than before.

“Look Teddy, I don’t want you to feel forced into anything. I just want to make sure you have everything you need to be happy. You’re so hard on yourself sometimes- It worries me.”

“I know.” Teddy said softly. “Thanks man. It- it really does mean a lot to me..” 

“Anytime.” Jaime replied, “Remember I’m always here to talk you through stuff.”

“Because you’re older and thus all knowing?” Teddy asked.

Jaime laughed.

“Just try not to get  _ too _ drunk without me tonight.”

Teddy smiled.

“Alright.” 

Teddy hung up and let out a shaky breath. He leaned his head back, letting the cool material of the headrest sooth his hot skin. He could feel the beginnings of a headache coming on and Teddy prayed it would just go away. He really didn’t have the mental strength to deal with one today. Teddy popped the glove compartment open and fished around for the bottle of tylenol he kept there. His fingers closed around the bottle and he breathed a sigh of relief. Popping two in his mouth, he closed his eyes and reclined his seat.

He was seeing Billy today. 

Those days were his favorite days. It gave him something, just one solitary thing to look forward to. Teddy checked his phone. He was going to be late for his one thing if he didn’t get his ass moving. Slowly, he pulled himself up and stepped out of his car. Tonight was going to be a good night; he’d make sure of that. Gravel crunched and rolled underneath his foot as he climbed the small staircase leading to his back door. He fumbled with the keys in the lock for a moment before the door finally gave way. Teddy stepped into his kitchen and set his keys down on the counter. 

He could feel his mind slipping back into the familiar patterns. _ You aren’t good enough. You don’t deserve your success. You were too late to be with her before she was gone.  _ Visions of his mother flooded his mind. He wasn’t surprised, she always did eventually. No matter if it was a happy memory or a sad one, she was always there. 

His breathing quickened, each breath a bit more strained than the last. Teddy reached out and put a hand on the counter to steady himself. His head was beginning to spin now. 

Teddy pushed past all of the bad memories and focused on a good one. He was dancing around the living room of their apartment. His mother was sitting on their small sofa with a guitar and a smile. The memory was warm and familiar- despite being from so long ago. Remembering what she had told him as a kid, Teddy stepped into the middle of his kitchen. 

_ “Remember Teddy bear, it’s okay to feel sad. There’s nothing wrong with that and there’s nothing wrong with you. We just have to remember, whenever we feel sad what do we do?” _

_ “We do our happy dance!” little Teddy had said. _

_ She laughed. _

_ “That's right! We do our happy dance and we think about all of the things we’re lucky to have.” _

Teddy began to dance. It was timid at first, but soon he was flailing around his kitchen. He was faintly aware of how ridiculous it probably looked, but in some strange way it made her feel just a bit closer to him. He kicked off his shoes and slid around in his socks, miming the guitar to some song he vaguely remembered from when he was a kid. He couldn’t help but smile.

_ And we think about all the things we’re lucky to have.  _

His career, Jaime and Steve, a roof over his head. A movie deal based on his favorite comic series of all time. Billy, who made him feel like all the troubles of his world were insignificant. _ And you mom. I’m so grateful to have had you for the time that I did. I’m trying to make you proud.  _

**  
  
**

*

Teddy’s eyes scanned the crowd. There was no sign of the trademark messy hair and bright face that gave Billy away. Settling onto a stool at the bar, Teddy pulled out his phone and opened instagram. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He tapped the search icon at the bottom of the screen and typed in Nate Richards. After a second, the blank loading screen yielded results. He had to scroll past one or two names until he finally reached a profile picture that seemed similar to the man he’d met. 

Teddy’s search was interrupted by the bartender asking if he wanted anything. Teddy told the woman he was waiting for a friend and she nodded and walked up to another customer.

Nate’s account was relatively bare, mostly just promotions for whatever projects he was working on. A brief picture here and there gave away little clues as to what Nate was really like. Teddy’s eyes were drawn to a picture of Nate holding up a comic book next to his smirking face. The caption read: Guess who gets to adapt the best comic book of ALL time???

The picture only had a bit over 200,000 likes.  _ Teddy knit his brows together. Maybe I did make a mistake _ . Teddy thought. A tap on the shoulder broke his focus. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt your  _ brooding _ , but I was promised alcohol.”

Teddy smiled.

“Well look who decided to finally show up.”

He turned around and faced Billy. As per usual, the man’s hair was crazy and his clothes were less than organized, but it made his smile all the more brilliant. Without saying anything else Teddy slid his arms around Billy, ignoring the quiet sound of surprise that he made. After a moment Billy returned the hug.

“Rough day?”

“Yeah.” Teddy mumbled.

“That's okay. I’m here to get drunk with you now.”

Teddy pulled away, shooting quick glances at the other people in the bar. No one was paying them much attention thank god. Teddy silently scolded himself.  _ The hug wasn’t even that long. No one would suspect anything anyway.  _

__ “Well thank god for that.” Teddy said.

Billy sat down on a stool next to him. 

“What happened to make your day so sucky?” Billy asked.

Teddy waved his hand.

“Just a combination of a bunch of little things.”

_ Like Camilla bringing up the incident that almost got you fired. _

“It was no big deal I promise.”

_ And almost having a panic attack in your kitchen. _

Billy arched a brow.

“You sure?”   
“Yep, nothing to worry about.” Teddy said

The bartender came over and took their drink orders. After she left, Billy began recounting the thrilling story of his day. He seemed particularly thrilled about his neighbor's new protein smoothie habit, which meant the wonderful sound of a blender could now be heard multiple times a day. He also told Teddy about a new art competition he was entering to try and get some of his work out into the public space. As Billy talked an idea began to formulate in Teddy’s head.

Before Teddy could speak, the bartender placed their drinks in front of them. Billy thanked her and took a big swig of his beer. Placing it on the table with a loud thud. Teddy looked at him surprised.

“Thirsty huh?”

“Is it illegal to drop someone’s blender down the fire escape?” 

“Yeah I’m pretty sure it is.”

“Then yes I’m very thirsty.”

Teddy laughed and took a sip of his beer. 

“You know I could always post some of your art on my account.”

Billy blinked, not fully registering what Teddy was suggesting.

“I mean it couldn’t hurt right? It might give you a little boost that's all.”

Billy rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down at the table. 

“Yeah I don’t know.”

Teddy felt a bit confused. He’d thought it had been a pretty good idea.

“Hey if you don’t want to that’s fine. It was just a suggestion.”

There was an awkward moment of silence. They both finished their drinks and ordered new ones before the conversation finally resumed. Teddy considered whether or not to tell Billy about the Space Commandos movie but decided against it. _ Nothing’s final. I might not even have a part in it. _ After an hour long debate over whether Lord Skeltak or the Klyndark General was a better comic book villain, (which in Teddy’s opinion while Lord Skeltak wasn’t as strong a fighter, he had a far greater psychological effect on the heroes-making him the greater villain overall), Billy was clearly getting to the point of intoxication that could be deemed less than optimal. After asking the bartender if she could give him the same tattoos she had, Teddy decided it was time that Billy went home. He pulled out his phone and ordered an Uber from the bar to Billy’s address. 

To Billy’s protest, Teddy put an arm around his shoulder and walked him away from the bartender’s fascinatingly tattooed arm and out to the sidewalk. The brisk night air made a chill travel down Teddy’s arms. He rubbed his arms and looked over at Billy who was having a conversation with the poster for a laundromat plastered on an electrical pole. Clearly the conversation was not going the way Billy wanted it to because he was getting annoyed at the yellow paper now. Chuckling, Teddy walked over and grabbed Billy’s hand, leading him away from the pole.

“Stupid laundromat, can’t even eat clothes right.”

“Mmhm,” Teddy said, “Stupid laundromat.”

Finally, their Uber pulled up. Teddy ushered Billy into the car and got in next to him, closing the door after him. The car ride was blissfully silent. Teddy had fully expected to have to do damage control, but Billy passed out. His head slipped onto Teddy’s shoulder. Or maybe it was an oversized balloon animal’s arm. Teddy wasn’t quite sure. _ Maybe I had a bit too much too. _

The Uber pulled to a stop outside the building that Teddy remembered from the first time he and Billy had seen each other. Billy woke up when the car stopped and groaned something about hot pizzas before getting out of the car after Teddy. It took a conscious effort for Teddy to hand the driver a tip instead of his whole wallet. Satisfied, the man pulled away from the curb, leaving Teddy and Billy alone. 

“Where’s your key?” Teddy asked.

Surprisingly, Billy was able to produce a key from his jacket pocket and wave it in the air triumphantly. They entered the building as quietly as possible, taking the stairs slowly. Billy finally stopped them in front of a door. He tried for a moment to fit the key into the lock but missed each time. He turned back to Teddy.

“It won’t go in.”

“That’s because you’re just hitting the door.”

Billy turned back to the lock.

“Oh.”

Teddy gently took the key and, after two tries, was successful in opening the door. Billy’s apartment was dark and Teddy dragged his hand across the wall until he found the light switch. Finally, his hand found what he was looking for and light illuminated the room before him. A small bed sat in one corner, it’s neat appearance a stark contrast to the rest of the apartment.  _ If you could even call it an apartment _ . Teddy thought. _ This barely even qualifies as a room. _ There was no shower or toilet, and the only thing that resembled a kitchen was a solitary sink with a minifridge next to it. Teddy hadn’t been expecting much. He knew firsthand what people struggling in the business were subject to. But  _ this _ . This was inhumane. 

Billy yawned and sat down on his bed. 

“I have to change now.” He said. 

“Okay yeah that’s probably a good idea.” 

He turned to leave but Billy called out to him.

“Wait, I need help with the, the… jelly beans.”

“Jelly beans?” Teddy asked.

Billy gestured to the buttons on his shirt, an intense expression on his face. 

“Jelly beans.”

“Okay yeah jelly beans.” Teddy said, walking back over to Billy. He placed a hand on Billy’s shoulder. Suddenly, Billy’s hand was resting on his. Teddy looked up into Billy’s eyes. They weren’t like they normally were. They were confident, sure, defiant. 

“I’m going to undo the jelly beans now.” Teddy said.

Billy nodded. Slowly Teddy began to undo the buttons. Once the last one was undone, he slid the shirt off of Billy’s arms and handed him a t-shirt. 

“Thanks.” Billy said, pulling the shirt over his head. Teddy did his best not to stare. Each inch of Billy’s exposed skin increased the temptation just a bit more. After what seemed like way too long, Billy finally had his shirt on. He stared down at his jeans.

“I can do this part on my own. No jelly beans.”

Teddy blushed and turned away. He could hear Billy rustling around behind him. It was then that Teddy noticed the artwork pinned to the wall. He took a step forward to examine it closer. Each piece was beautiful and stylistic. One depicted two characters battling atop a crashing spaceship. Another was a crazy alien landscape with colorful plants and animals. It was then that Teddy realized why they were familiar. They were comic panels. Panels from different Space Commandos comics that Billy had redrawn into concept art. 

“Okay I’m done now.” Billy said.

Teddy turned back around and found Billy had changed into a pair of grey sweatpants. He walked over and put a hand on Billy’s forehead. I let him drink way too much. Billy placed a hand on Teddy’s bicep and met his eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” Billy said.

“For what?” Teddy asked.

“I ruined your night.” 

Teddy pulled Billy into a soft hug.

“No you didn’t.”

“But I drank too much.” Billy said.

“Yeah, you _ really  _ did.”

They pulled apart and Teddy felt Billy rest a hand on his chest. His heart fluttered a bit. There it was again. That intense look in Billy’s eyes; like no one had ever looked at him before. Teddy was faintly aware of how close their faces had become. He could feel the heat of Billy’s breath close to his face. Slowly, Teddy closed the distance between them. Their lips met and for a moment everything was strange. It was an entirely new sensation, his lips on another man’s. And not just any man’s lips, but  _ Billy’s _ lips. Billy leaned into Teddy’s body and Teddy responded by wrapping his arms around the smaller man’s waist. He let his hand travel up Billy’s back until it came to rest in his messy hair. 

Then the moment was over. Teddy shook himself out of his stupor and broke off the kiss. _ This is wrong. He’s drunk and I’m not. I can’t take advantage of him like this _ . He pulled away and cold air rushed between them. Teddy tried to ignore the confused, and _ just _ a bit hurt, expression on Billy’s face by looking at the door. He cleared his throat.

“I really should go.”

Billy was silent for a moment.

“Okay.” he said.

Without looking back up, Teddy left the room and exited the building as quickly as possible. In a haze, he pulled out his phone and called Jaime to come pick him up. After confirming that Jaime was coming, he began to walk. So much was going through his head that he just wished it would stop. Why did I let that happen? Teddy you stupid fucking idiot. As he walked, he slowly began to diffuse. The cool air and sounds of the city around him soothing the heated emotions inside of him. Occasionally he would pass someone, but they paid him no attention. By the time Jaime’s car pulled up next to him, Teddy had cooled down significantly. Without questioning him. Jaime helped him into the backseat and then pulled away from the curb. Soon, they were out of the city and the lights and noises began to drop away. Lulled by the gentle motions of the car, Teddy drifted off to sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OoooOo so the plot thickens from nonexistent to semi-existent! Progress! After I actually got off my ass and started writing this chapter was super fun to do! I think writing drunk characters is my new favorite thing ever. Also stay tuned for a Billy chapter hopefully coming in just a few days. The bright side of being stuck in my house is that I now have no excuses not to write! As always, comments and kudos are appreciated! Stay safe :)


	6. The Steaks Get Higher

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? An update? To this fic? After a year of inactivity? Surprise! Obviously pandemic stuff happened and life got real shitty real fast but I have finally found both the time and willpower to write again! If you subscribed to this fic then I'd like to take the chance to propose marriage because coming back to see everyone who did was a huge confidence boost. Anyways, this chapter is pretty much a continuation of the gays being dramatic! Also brunch!

_ The Steaks Get Higher _

_ Billy  _

Billy woke up shivering. Cold air surrounded him, raising goosebumps up and down his arms. Blinking his eyes open, Billy attempted to locate the source of the change in temperature by sitting up. A decision that his body promptly decided to veto. Billy groaned as he noticed the dull throb in his head.  _ What the hell happened last night? _

Images of the bar and Teddy came rushing back to him in an instant, making his head pound. Billy pressed his palm to his temple and rubbed it.  _ Oh right… that _ . Billy sighed and pondered how one person could be as colossally stupid as he was. He supposed that he must be a special case. 

Finally gathering strength, Billy hoisted himself up and sat on his bed. The window next to him was cracked open and a cool breeze was drifting in. Billy’s bed covers lay in a heap underneath the windowsill. 

Billy sat there for a moment and contemplated his existence. He wasn’t sure how he’d done it, but in one night he’d not only managed to make an absolute fool of himself, but also ruin any chance of having a friend that wasn’t his brother or his sister in law. Billy’s heart stopped and he scrambled for his phone. 

_ 5 missed calls from Kate _

Cursing his stupidity, he unlocked his phone and played the messages she’d left him.

“Hey Billy it’s Kate, just checking in to make sure you got home safe-”

“Hey there, me again! Checking in again. Not sure if you got my last call-”

“Ok Billy either you’re still at the bar or you’ve lost your phone-”

“Listen here you little fucker-”

“I’m sending Tommy to get you. You’d better just be hungover, otherwise I’m going to beat your ass.”

Billy checked the timestamp of the last message and groaned. 15 minutes ago. Tommy was probably almost there.  _ Well I might as well try to look presentable _ . Billy moved to his feet and walked shakily to the mirror.  _ Nevermind. _

His hair looked like a bird had nested there during the night, and then a rat had nested in  _ that _ nest, and the rat had taken a leaf blower and done some light yard work. Billy picked up a brush and attempted to run it through the ragged mess on his head with little success.  _ Well I get points for trying right?  _

__ A sharp knock at the door startled Billy out of his thoughts. He tried to look through the peephole but saw only a jumble of shapes and colors. He frowned.

“Go away.” Billy said.

“It’s your brother asshole open the door.”

Billy turned the doorknob and found himself standing face to face with his brother. Tommy took a long look at Billy.

“What the hell happened to you?” 

Billy groaned.

“You should see the other guy.” He said, stepping out of the way to let Tommy into the room.

“Was the other guy a dump truck?” 

“No, just built like one.” 

Tommy smirked and grabbed his shoulder. 

“C’mon Billy, let's get you cleaned up.”

Billy followed him out of the building and lugged himself into the front seat of Tommy’s car. He winced as his leg bumped against a red bucket sitting on the floor.

“What’s this for?”

“In case you throw up.” Tommy said.

Billy groaned. 

“Tommy I’ve been hungover before I’m not goin-” Billy’s sentence was abruptly ended by the contents of his stomach emptying his body with a shocking amount of force. Billy groaned and wiped his mouth. Tommy cocked an eyebrow and handed him a water bottle. 

“Hey at least I made it in the bucket.” Billy said, taking a sip from the water bottle.

“That you did Billy, that you did.” Tommy reached into the backseat and handed Billy a towel. “Cover that” Tommy said, “I don’t want it stinking up my car.” 

As they pulled out into the street, Billy was struck with memories of standing in the same spot just last night. The memories were hazy and unfocused, but they made Billy’s heart sink nonetheless. 

“You want to tell me the reason I’m picking my brother up at 10 am on a Tuesday morning?” 

“Oh god is it really Tuesday?” Billy moaned.

“Uh... yeah?” Tommy replied.

“I have work tonight,” Billy said, tugging on the front of his hair. “Shit what was I thinking?” 

Tommy put a hand on Billy’s forearm and rubbed it softly. It was something he’d done a million times before, a move picked up from the closeness of their high school years and the drama that they’d brought. 

“Hey it’s okay, you can just call in sick. Just say it was something testicular, that  _ always _ works.” 

“I can’t do that, I used that one last week.” Billy sighed.

“Hey we’ll figure something out.” Tommy said. Billy couldn’t figure out how to respond. “We always have.”

The rest of the ride was spent in a comfortable silence. Billy leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes. Maybe his relationship with Teddy was somewhat salvageable. He  _ had _ been extremely drunk at the time. Plus, Teddy was almost painfully understanding of everything Billy had ever done wrong. 

Tommy perked up as they pulled into the driveway of a small suburban house. Toys were littered across the lawn in haphazard piles, traps waiting for an unsuspecting parental victim. Tommy shut off the car and stepped out onto the lawn. Billy followed suit, although much slower and less enthusiastic. Sighing, Billy grabbed the red bucket and allowed himself to be led inside.

A cross armed Kate was waiting for them in the kitchen. The look on her face made Billy feel like maybe he might need another bucket. The fact that she was holding a knife and wearing an apron stained with a suspiciously red substance did nothing to help. 

“Were you waiting for me to get here just so you could look intimidating?” Billy asked.

Kate huffed.

“Maybe,” she set down the knife (quite to Billy’s relief) and crossed over to him. “You have got some  _ serious _ explaining to do.”

“Believe me, I know.” 

A sudden gasp from the counter drew both Kate and Billy’s attention. Tommy stood over a cutting board with a horrified expression on his face.

“Katherine Bishop!  _ Please _ tell me you did _ not _ use the good dinner steak.”

Kate turned beet red.

“We were supposed to cook this together! That was our date night thing!”

Kate placed a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and squeezed it gently.

“Relax, I didn't cook all of it. Plus it’ll help with Mr. Idiot’s hangover.” Kate said, gesturing over to Billy.

Billy drew his focus away from the throbbing pain in his head and rejoined the conversation. He suddenly became acutely aware of the fact that he was indeed still standing in the doorway of the kitchen holding a bucket of his own puke. 

“Right I should probably go deal with this.” Billy said, tentatively lifting the bucket. He left the kitchen and walked down the small carpeted hall into the bathroom. Lifting the toilet seat, he dumped the bucket's contents into the bowl and flushed it. Gagging slightly, Billy washed his hands and brought the bucket out to the garage.

When he returned, the dinner steak was sizzling in a pan over the stove. Kate was stirring the pan with a spatula while Tommy had begun to clean up the kitchen around her, scraping scraps of food into the trash can. With a smirk, Kate turned and whacked Tommy’s ass as he passed by. Tommy’s shoulders tensed for a minute before he began to laugh, coming up behind Kate and tousling her hair. Not wanting to be witness to an increasingly intimate moment, Billy cleared his throat and stepped fully into the kitchen. 

Tommy and Kate separated with alarming speed, Tommy returning to cleaning off the counter with flushed cheeks,

“Sorry about that.” Kate said sheepishly, the color on her cheeks matching Tommy’s. Billy smirked and sat down at the counter. 

“Not a problem.” 

Soon after, three plates of steak sat in front of the group. As Billy gazed down at the food in front of him he realized how hungry he was. The last food he’d had was a mini box of froot-loops the day before, and that couldn’t really be counted as much of a meal. 

As they ate, Kate began to ask Billy about the night before, bringing up flashes of memories in Billy’s head.

“But what exactly happened?” Kate asked. “I mean if he let you drink that much aren’t you worried?”

Billy cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well clearly he wasn’t trying to stop you from drinking too much. Doesn’t that, I don't know… worry you?”

“Kate relax. He’s a good guy. I _ know _ he is.”

Kate and Tommy glanced at each other.

“Billy, you’ve known him for a month. Sure he might seem like a great guy, but that doesn’t mean he is.” Tommy said.

Billy felt a hot feeling rising in his stomach. Teddy would never do something to intentionally hurt him. He couldn’t explain why but he just  _ knew _ . But a part of him also knew that he’d rushed into their friendship. They had only known each other for a little while, and as much as he hated it, there was no way he knew Teddy as well as he thought he did. Maybe it  _ was _ a good idea to take a step back.

“Yeah I guess you’re right.” he sighed.

Tommy patted his arm. 

“Look, we only say it because we care about you. We’re a team remember? The three of us support each other. We just want to be sure that before we add another person to that team we know what he’s about.” 

Billy groaned and leaned back in his chair.

“Yeah you may not have to worry about that part.”

Kate and Tommy gave him a questioning glance.

“I kissed him.” 

There was a moment of silence in the kitchen. An expression of pure shock had taken root on Tommy’s face. Kate on the other hand seemed like she was stuck between hugging Billy and throwing him across the room. 

“You…  _ what _ ?” Tommy whispered.

“I kis-”

“I heard what you said!” 

Kate crossed her arms. “ _ Don’t _ tell me this is while you were drunk.” 

Billy didn’t respond. The look on Kate’s face changed to one of disappointment. 

“Billy you have to be more careful!” 

Billy’s eyes dropped to his lap, unable to meet Kate’s and Tommy’s eyes. Tommy didn’t say anything, but Billy knew exactly the thoughts that were running through his head: This is exactly how it started in high school, he got more and more irresponsible, cared less and less about himself. The thought that Tommy was worried about him like that made him even more sick to his stomach.

“I know, I…I’m sorry.” Billy forced himself to meet Kate’s eyes. “I’ve just been so reliant on you guys these past few years, and I hate that I can’t help you too.”

Kate scoffed and placed a hand on his knee. 

“Billy, we don’t expect you to repay us anytime soon. I know how hard it is to struggle as an artist, I’ve been there more times than I can _ count. _ You just need to give yourself a bit more time to figure things out,” Her face grew more worried, “But you have to promise us that you won’t go looking for validation from Teddy after knowing him for this long. The only one who can give you that is yourself.”

Kate pulled him in and hugged him tightly. After a moment Billy felt Tommy slide his arms around the both of them. It took every ounce of willpower that Billy had not to burst into tears on the spot. He made himself a silent vow that no matter what, he’d find a way to repay Kate and Tommy for everything they’d done for him. He could do it. He would do it.

Tommy pulled out of the hug and wrinkled his nose.

“Let's get you showered.” He said.

“Thanks.” Billy said with a sigh of relief.

“Save the thank you’s for  _ after _ the shower please.” 

“Right.” Billy nodded and allowed himself to be led to the upstairs bathroom. Once he was alone he turned the water on and stripped down. Once the water was hot enough, he stepped in and scrubbed down slowly. Rivulets of hot water cascaded down his back, leaving his skin red and steamy. Billy didn’t care. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a hot shower to himself. The YMCA public showers didn’t exactly have a lot of options for privacy. 

He let the hot water and steam soothe his body for another minute before turning the water off and grabbing his towel. Steam curled through the air, remnants from his extended shower. Billy paused to look at the bathroom mirror which was covered in a fine layer of mist. Smiling slightly to himself, he traced a smiley face onto the glass and then left to get changed. 

Tommy had laid out a fresh pair of clothes for him on the master bed. A plain t-shirt and jeans. Billy pulled them on before patting his pockets and remembering that he’d left his phone downstairs on the kitchen counter. 

Kate was sitting at the kitchen table on her laptop when Billy entered. She looked up and smiled.

“Good to see you looking like you didn’t just get hit by a truck!”

“And good afternoon to you too!” Billy replied, “What’cha working on?”

Kate pursed her lips and typed something quickly.

“I’m emailing my agent. She was contacted by this guy, sort of an up and coming director I think. Anyway he asked for me specifically so it's worth a look.”

“That's great! Congratulations,” Billy said. Suddenly he spotted his phone on the counter and grabbed it. Waving to Kate, he excused himself and stepped into the backyard. 

The sun hung overhead and beat down on the small fenced in backyard as Billy took a seat in one of the two wicker chairs that occupied the space. He mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do. For a moment he doubted himself, but he knew that he needed to apologize. Teddy deserved that much. Billy deserved to give him that. Maybe Kate was right, maybe he didn’t really know Teddy, but he wanted to, and he got the feeling that Teddy wanted to know him too. He opened Teddy’s contact info and stared at the call button. With a steady hand he pressed it and the phone began to ring.

*

_ Teddy _

Warmth. A large blanket swaddled around him like when he was a toddler. The air around Teddy was still and quiet, illuminated by a beam of sunlight that cut across the room. Particles of dust swirled through it, lazily travelling through the crisp golden light and back into shadow. It took a moment for Teddy’s brain to catch up to his eyes. Sitting up, he did his best to shake away the stupor of sleep and keep his eyes open for long enough to catch his bearings. He was on a couch in someone’s living room. Sunlight poured through a sliding glass door that sat partially ajar. 

Pulling the blanket off himself, Teddy stood up and stretched, bones cracking under his sore muscles. Teddy paused for a moment and tried to focus on why he’d ended up on a couch in the living room of someone he hoped to god he knew. Memories of the previous night came rushing back and slammed into his brain like a freight train. Billy, the beer, Billy,  _ more _ beer, Billy’s apartment, what happened  _ in _ Billy’s apartment. 

Voices drifted in from outside. Teddy shuffled out towards the door, holding his hand up to shield his eyes. He stepped out onto a small patio, the stone underneath his feet cool and hard. As his eyes adjusted to the light, two figures sitting at a table came into focus.

“Good morning Mister Good Life Choices.”

Jamie. 

Teddy tried to respond with a snarky comment but it came out more a garbled mess. Jaime was sitting cross legged on a chair, lounging and lazily sipping from a coffee mug. But sitting next to him was a man that Teddy had never seen before. Teddy also noted that he was jacked,  _ ridiculously _ jacked. 

“What time is it?” Teddy managed to get out.

Jaime pulled his phone from his pocket, “Just past 10. You didn’t sleep as long as I thought you would.” 

“Why is that?” 

Jaime glanced over at the man next to him, briefly meeting his eyes before looking back at Teddy. 

“Well I mean I picked you up pretty late last night.” He said.

“What time?”

“It had to have been at least 3 in the morning.” 

A dull throbbing had begun in the back of Teddy’s head.  _ That can’t be right. I left Billy’s by at least 12:30. Did I really walk around for three hours? What the hell was I doing?  _

“Teddy?” 

Teddy shook his head and tried to ignore his growing headache. 

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to tell me why I had to pick you up wandering the streets at 3 in the morning?”

Teddy sighed and rubbed his face in his hands. 

“I really fucked up, that's why.” 

A look passed between Jaime and Steve. Jaime put a warm hand on Teddy’s forearm and rubbed it slowly. 

“Teddy, what do you mean? Is everything alright?”

Teddy wasn’t sure what it was, maybe it was the combination of the headache, the memories, or just something within him had stretched too far and finally snapped. A pressure built up in his head that made him want to curl up in a ball and hide. He could feel himself begin to cry and Jaime moved his arm to wrap around Teddy’s shoulders. 

“It’s okay, “Jaime murmured, “You feel like talking about it?”

Teddy sighed and wiped the tears from his cheeks.

“Yeah I guess I probably should.”

Steve stood and grabbed the empty coffee mugs from the small side table. Patting Teddy on the shoulder gently with a giant hand, he made his exit.

“We were drunk last night.” Teddy began. As he tried to form the words necessary to tell the story, he felt his cheeks grow warm and he couldn’t bring himself to meet Jaime’s eyes. 

“I-”, Teddy forced himself to look up and took a deep breath, “I kissed him.”

Jaime’s eyes widened briefly and he paused, clearly thinking about the best way to respond. 

“Okay, yeah I think I understand,” Jaime brought Teddy into a tight hug, “You feel guilty right?”

Teddy hummed in agreement.

“Look I think you’re making too big a deal out of this buddy. You were both drunk, this kind of thing happens.” He paused. “You didn’t- you didn’t force him into it did you?”

“No of course not!” Teddy said, quickly pulling himself up, “I would never. It just kind of… happened. And I-” he sighed, “I felt things for him that I haven’t felt for anyone in a long time and it just- It terrified me.” 

“Listen, after what you went through, what Camilla  _ put _ you through, It’s not an easy thing to get over. It’ll take time to heal.” Jaime’s voice got softer. “In the meantime, maybe it would be a good idea to get some professional help.”

“But-” 

“I know, I know but getting you healthy is more important than what anyone in the tabloids has to say about you.” 

Teddy took a deep breath and steadied himself. The tears had stopped but he could still feel the wetness on his cheeks. The weight of what Jaime had suggested wasn’t lost on him, and despite all of his reservations about the press would say, let alone what Camilla would say, he couldn’t pretend that the last few months had been anything but agonizing. Maybe it was past time he tried something new. 

Jaime patted his knee and stood up, stretching his arms and contorting his face into a large yawn. 

“Look, just promise me you’ll consider it? Steve knows a great therapist close by that might be a really great fit for you.” 

Teddy nodded. Just as Jaime turned to leave Teddy turned and called after him.

“What do I do about Billy?” 

Jaime paused and thought for a second.

“Give him a call. Trust me I don’t think last night was as bad as you remember it being Teds.” 

With that, he turned and entered the house leaving Teddy alone with his thoughts. Well, his thoughts and his phone. Teddy swiped his thumb across the screen and typed in the passcode. Billy’s contact stared up at him tauntingly. He didn’t want to call, but he knew he had to. Teddy smiled as he imagined what Billy would sound like. Probably all frazzled and disorganized as usual. It had only been a few hours since Teddy had last heard his voice, but he missed it like it had been years since they last spoke. 

Closing his eyes, Teddy locked his phone and leaned back in his chair.  _ Coward _ . He couldn’t bring himself to do it. Maybe he never would. God knows he didn’t deserve Billy, it would probably be better to just let him go now. Make it easier on the both of them. Teddy was just about to head inside when his hand buzzed. After a quick shake of his head, Teddy realized that it was in fact his  _ phone _ , and not his hand, that was doing the buzzing. 

Billy’s name sat on his screen, in big, white, illuminated letters.  _ Well _ , Teddy thought,  _ If that isn’t I fucking sign then I don’t know what is. _ Without a moment of hesitation, he answered and put the phone up to his ear. 

There was a moment of silence, and Teddy wondered if he had accidentally hung up in his excitement. But then Billy’s voice came through the speakers. 

“Uh... hi I guess.”

Teddy smiled to himself.

“Look, I don’t really know what to uhh- what to necessarily say in this situation?”

“Yeah this is pretty much new ground for me too.” Teddy replied.

There was a moment of hesitation and Teddy tried not to imagine Billy smiling back wherever he was.

“About last night-” 

“Billy I’m-,” Teddy began, “I'm so, so sorry. Genuinely. I wasn’t thinking and I shouldn’t have done that; it was totally taking advantage.”

“No! Please don’t apologize, if anything I should. I mean god I drank  _ way _ too much last night and I put you in a terrible situation.” 

“Maybe we just... forget about it then?” Teddy said slowly. He knew he never would but at least maybe this was a way they could move forward.

“Yeah you know what, that might be a good idea.” Billy said.

“As long as we’re still comic buddies?” 

Billy laughed and Teddy almost jumped for joy at the sound. 

“Yeah you massive nerd. As long as I still get to whoop your ass at comic trivia I can agree to those terms.”

It was as if Teddy’s lungs had opened up again and he could breath normally for the first time. He knew he was probably grinning like an idiot from the face that Jaime was making as he spied through the kitchen window, but Teddy neither cared nor wanted to stop. 

“Speaking of which,” Billy continued, “Stan lent me Crusaders #39 and it was absolutely  _ amazing _ . I knew that you said the ending was unexpected but oh my god Teddy I think I cried for almost an hour-” 

Billy’s voice kept going for several minutes and Teddy hung onto every word of it. He didn’t know how long they’d talked but it wasn’t long before Jaime was calling him for brunch. Teddy said goodbye and reluctantly hung up the phone. 

Jaime was standing in the sliding door with a slight smirk on his face. 

“You look considerably better than previously.” 

Teddy smiled and rolled his eyes.

“Shut up.”

“You know you really should be nicer to your host. With all of the gas money I spent looking for you last night it’d be cheaper to just poison your food.” Jaime said, leaving him to set the table.  Teddy’s phone buzzed again and he glanced at it. A text message from an unknown number popped up on the screen. Frowning, Teddy opened it. 

_ Hi! It’s Nate Richards. I’ve been in touch with your agent about my upcoming film and am so happy you’re interested! I hope you’re ready for your audition Captain Scott, the Commandos are assembling... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around! Sorry if this chapter was a bit disjointed or rusty, I literally haven't written a single thing in almost a year so I think its to be expected. I definitely have more plans for this story so if you'd like to see where it goes then awesome, I'd love to have you! If not, that's cool too, whatever floats your boat. As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated. Stay safe :)

**Author's Note:**

> So that's chapter one! I think I'll divide the rest of the story up into three parts and do three chapters for each. Sorry this one is on the shorter side but I've been ridiculously busy with AP work and the like. Next chapter will be the big meetup between Billy and Teddy and it should be fun to write! If you enjoyed this, feel free to leave a comment or kudos! I love hearing feedback :)


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